The budget resolution passed by the U.S. House of Representatives earlier this month could cost millions of lives if enacted into law

NEW YORK, February 25, 2011—A new analysis from amfAR, the Foundation for AIDS Research, on Friday showed that reducing bilateral global health funding to the levels proposed in H.R. 1, the House Continuing Resolution, would potentially cost millions of lives.

amfAR estimates that, were H.R. 1 to be enacted as passed by the House:

• Funding for AIDS treatment for 448,866 people would be eliminated, resulting in a halt to treatment expansion and deeper cuts in HIV prevention and other areas in an effort to avoid removing current patients from lifesaving treatment

• 299,294 orphans and vulnerable children could lose their food, education, and livelihood assistance

• 20,000 more infants could be infected with HIV each year due to reductions in services to combat mother-to-child HIV transmission

• Nearly 3.9 million fewer people would be treated for malaria and 2 million fewer insecticide-treated mosquito nets would be available, with increased loss of life from malaria felt overwhelmingly among children under five

• 51,822 fewer people with tuberculosis would receive lifesaving treatment, seriously endangering their lives as well as other people’s due to the contagious nature of this illness

The analysis only addresses the impact on bilateral global health programming. Larger cuts proposed by H.R. 1 in U.S. funding for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria would result in considerable additional human costs.

About amfARamfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, is one of the world’s leading nonprofit organizations dedicated to the support of AIDS research, HIV prevention, treatment education, and the advocacy of sound AIDS-related public policy. Since 1985, amfAR has invested nearly $325 million in its programs and has awarded grants to more than 2,000 research teams worldwide.